My Journey to Healing
by Bella Gracelyn Prentiss
Summary: 12 year old Mollianne Alexis is placed with Regina Mills after being removed from an abusive foster home and being separated from her friends. Will Regina be able to help this broken girl? Warning: includes self-harm and mentions/flashbacks of abuse
1. Chapter 1

This story is the prequel to 'Whose daughter am I'. It will reveal the year that Mollianne, age 12, was fostered by Regina before later being adopted.

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On the highway somewhere between New Jersey and Maine, twelve year old Mollianne is sulking in the backseat of her social worker's car she leans her head against the window.

"Mollie, you know I couldn't leave you in the house. Right?" Mollianne's social worker, Claire Swanson questioned

Mollianne sighed, "Of course. I just wish I didn't have to leave behind Trixie, Buck, and Hero. Especially Hero, since he's in the hospital."

"They'll be fine. Kathleen and Andrew will be fine. They're going to a wonderful children's group home. And in time Jesse will heal and then he'll be placed in a group home for teens or a foster home." Claire answered

Mollianne nodded and took a nervous, deep breath, "And what about me?"

"Your foster mom is an amazing woman. She has a son that she adopted as a baby nine years ago." Claire explained "You'll be fine. I have a good feeling that this could be your last foster home ever."

Mollianne rolled her eyes, "Yeah you've said that about the last three foster homes. I'll believe that when I get adopted. Or when I turn eighteen."

Claire sighed softly and didn't say another word.

Meanwhile in Maine at the Mills' Mayor Mansion, Regina is cleaning up the house in preparation for Mollianne's arrival.

"Bud, can you please help me clean up?" Regina asked her nine year old son Henry

"Why?" Henry questioned as he groaned, but didn't look up from his game.

Regina sighed softly, "Because Henry, we are preparing for Mollianne. For the girl who will hopefully become your sister."

Henry huffed and placed his PSP on the couch, "Fine. I'll help, but I don't even want a sister. I like being an only child." This was a lie and Regina knew it. He'd been begging for a sibling since he was five.

"Tough." Regina told him "Now start cleaning."

"I am, mom, I am." Henry replied

Back with Mollianne and her social worker Claire. It's hours later. Seven at night, when they arrive at Regina's home. Claire parks her car at the curb and then takes the key out of the ignition.

"Ready to go meet your foster mom?" Claire asked Mollianne as she turned her head to look at the preteen girl.

Mollianne shrugged, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Claire nodded, "Okay then let's go." She opened her door and got out of the car.

Mollianne sighed as she grabbed her bag and hopped out of the car.

Claire walked Mollianne up to the front door and knocked on it.

Meanwhile inside the house, Regina pauses the movie that she and Henry are watching and then she gets up and walks to the front door. She opens the door and smiles at Mollianne.

"Hi. You must be Mollianne." Regina stated "I'm Regina."

Mollianne gave a small nod, "Mollie. I prefer Mollie."

"Okay. It's nice to meet you, Mollie." Regina replied

"Alright well I have a long drive ahead of me, so I should get going." Claire said "Thanks for taking in Mollie on such short notice."

Regina nodded, "You're welcome. It's no problem." Then she smiled at Mollianne after Claire walked away and headed towards her car, "Please come in. I'm so happy to have you here, Mollie."

Mollianne stepped inside the house cautiously and looked around. She took in everything in the house in awe of how big the house is. It's almost like a castle. Mollianne is suddenly startled by Regina's son, Henry.

"Hi!" Henry exclaimed as he looked at Mollianne "Are you my new sister?"

Mollianne shrugged, "I guess. I'm Mollie. Who are you?"

"My name's Henry. I'm 9." Henry replied "I always wanted a sibling."

Mollianne laughed slightly. She's amused at this kid's enthusiasm, "Well then I'm honoured to be your sister for however long I'm here for."

"I hope that you'll be here for a long time." Regina spoke "Hopefully forever."

Mollianne smiled softly, "Thank you?" She was confused, and though she didn't show it on her face, it was evident in her tone.

"I mean it, Mollie. I want you to stay here with my and Henry forever." Regina said sincerely

Mollianne gave a nod, "Okay."

Henry turned to Regina, "Mom, can I go show Mollie her room?"

"If she would like it." Regina told her son

Henry looked at Mollianne with hopeful eyes. He really wanted to show Mollianne the room he and his mom had decorated and painted for her.

"Sure. Why not." Mollianne replied with a shrug

Henry smiled brightly, "Okay, follow me. It's upstairs."

Mollianne followed Henry and walked up the stairs. Henry opened the door to a bedroom that has jungle themed painted walls and monkey decals.

"This is your room." Henry announced as Mollianne walked inside. "Do you like it?"

Mollianne nodded, "This is a pretty awesome room." She'd never admit it, but she'd never had a room decorated just for her.

"I'm glad you like it." Henry responded

Mollianne smiled impressed, "How'd you and your mom know that I like monkeys?"

"She asked Claire, your social worker." Henry stated "Mom wanted it to be perfect for you. She really hoped you'd love it."

Mollianne blinked. She couldn't believe someone who hadn't met her yet wanted to make her happy. Then she took a breath and asked a question that had been plaguing her for a while, "Um Henry, is your mom married?"

Henry shook his head, "No. Momma said she never found the right guy."

Mollianne gave a nod, "Oh okay." She was slightly relieved. She had trust issues when it came to men. It all went back to the first man who had hurt her. Her 'papa'.

"Mollie, are you alright?" Henry wondered worried when he saw the look on his new sister's face. '

Mollianne forced a smile and nodded, "Yeah Henry. I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Okay." Henry said. He's young and doesn't know that she lied. "Now that you've seen your room, what do you want to do? We can play a game, you can eat if you're hungry, we can watch TV…"

"Um Henry?" Mollianne called as she interrupted "I'm kind of tired. I'd actually just like to go to bed."

Henry looked sad, "Oh okay."

"It's nothing personal, Hen. I've just had a long day." Mollianne explained

Henry nodded, "No, it's okay. That makes sense."

Once Henry leaves the room, Mollianne closes her door, then lays down on her bed, and looks up at the ceiling.

Meanwhile downstairs with Regina and Henry.

"Where's Mollie?" Regina inquired from her son

"She's upstairs in her room, which she loves." Henry explained "She said she was tired and wanted to rest."

Regina nodded, "Okay buddy. I'm going to go check on her."

Then Regina walked upstairs to Mollianne's room. She knocked on the door, before letting herself in when she didn't hear a response.

Mollianne turned her head to see who was coming in.

"Hey Mollie, are you okay?" Regina questioned

"Yeah. Just tired." Mollianne stated

Regina gave a nod, "Okay. Well you can go to sleep if you'd like to call it a night." Then she added, "I got you pajamas. They are in the top drawer of the dresser."

"Thanks." Mollianne replied "Um do you mind…..Will you….." Then she shook her head and turned away from Regina, "Nevermind."

Regina moved over and sat at the edge of the bed, "Mollie, honey, look at me." She waited for Mollianne's eyes to be looking at her. Then she spoke again, "It's okay. You can ask me anything. Don't be scared."

"Um…will you tuck me in, Gina?" Mollianne wondered nervously as she looked down "It's fine if you say no. I'm too old anyways.

Regince placed her hand under Mollianne's chin and tilted her head up so she could see the young girl's eyes, "Mollie, sweetheart, you're never too old to be tucked in. To want to feel safe and loved at night before going to bed."

Mollianne gave a small, nervous nod, "Okay. I'm going to change." She stands up and picks out a pair of pajamas from the top dresser drawer. Then she turned to Regina, "Where's the bathroom?"

"You can get to it from your bedroom. It's the door to the left of the dresser." Regina informed the girl.

"Thanks." Mollianne replied before walking into the bathroom. The pajamas she had picked out had monkeys on the pants and a monkey on the from of the shirt.

After changing, Mollianne exited the bathroom and laid down in bed.

Regina tucked the girl in and the comforter up to Mollianne's chest, "Goodnight, sweet princess."

"Goodnight Gina." Mollianne responded

"Do you mind if I give you a kiss? On the forehead?" Regina questioned

Mollianne shook her head, "No. I don't mind."

Regina planted a kiss on Mollianne's forehead, "Sweet dreams."

As Regina is leaving the room, she is about to turn off the light when she hears a frantic yell from Mollianne.

"Wait!" Mollianne yelled frantically "Leave the light on. Please?"

Regina nodded as she took her hand off the light switch, "Okay. Anything else you'd like?"

"Can….can you open the window a little bit?" Mollianne asked nervously. Most foster parents didn't like to hear of requests from the foster children. They took it as a complaint.

"Of course, sweetheart." Regina replied as she walked over to the window and opened it a little bit, "Is that okay?"

Mollianne sighed relieve and nodded softly, "Yes, thank you."

"You're welcome, sweet girl." Regina said " Goodnight, sweet dreams. I'm so happy to have you here."

"Goodnight Gina." Mollianne responded before relaxing and closing her eyes.

* * *

Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning when Regina is taking Mollianne and Henry to school. She drops Henry off at class and then walks to the office with Mollianne to enroll the girl in school.

"You don't have to walk me in. I can enroll myself in school." Mollianne informed Regina

Regina shook her head, "Nonsense. It's fine. I don't mind. Plus it's my job to take care of you. This is part of my job."

"Alright." Mollianne replied

After Mollianne is all enroll in the sixth grade class, Regina starts to walk the girl to her classroom.

"I don't need you to walk me to class." Mollianne said "I'm not a baby."

Regina gave a nod, "Okay. We'll see you after school. Have a good day."

Mollianne walks to her classroom. She sits down in the back row. She sits through the painful math lesson about fractional equations for the seventy-five minutes of class time.

After class is over, Mollianne rushes out of the classroom and headed out to recess.

"Eww! Look at the new girl." Mollianne heard a girl say

"And what's up with that nest she calls hair." Another girl added "She looks like she has no owner."

Then a third girl spoke, "I heard she doesn't. She's just a lowly foster kid with no parents. She's unwanted and unlovable. Not even Mary Poppins could love her."

Mollianne sighed. She runaway to the far end of the school grounds. She sat down on the field and cried. She cried and cried. Their words made her feel dirty. She felt exactly how she felt back when she was with 'papa', also known as Jonathon.

Flashback: Eight years ago: April 5 -

Four year old, Mollianne is sitting on the couch watching TV with her 'papa'. She cuddled into his as she nestles herself into his side.

Jonathon rubs his hand up and down Mollianne as if he's soothing her and giving her a soft massage, but to the little girl something seems wrong. Especially when Jonathon moves his hand to rub her chest where her flat nipples are.

"No!" Mollianne screamed as she pushed his away "Don't touch me there. My mommies said that's a no-no place."

"Don't tell me no, little girl." Jonathan said sternly "You will be punished."

Mollianne cried as she jumped off the couch and cowered away from him, "No papa! No! Don't hurt me, papa! I'm sorry."

Jonathon stood up from the couch, grabbed the girl, and laid her on the couch so that she's laying on her stomach and her butt is facing up towards him. He slides off his belt.

"Papa!" Mollianne shrieked as she moved her hands to cover her bottom.

Jonathon folded the belt in half, "Mollianne, move your hands!" Then he paused to wait to see if she'd move her hands, "I'm going to hit your hands if you don't move them."

Mollianne just cried, "Please papa, I'm sorry."

Smack! Jonathon had hit the little girl's hands with his belt.

"Ow, papa!" Mollianne yelled

"I told you to move your hands, so you can't say I didn't warn you." Jonathon told her

Mollianne sniffled and then moved her hands, "Not hard, papa. Kay?"

"It's supposed to hurt, Mollianne." Jonathon said firmly

Smack! Smack! Smack! Jonathan gave her three quick ones to the left butt cheek.

"Owie!" Mollianne screamed "Stop, papa! Please! I'm sorry!"

Smack! Smack! Smack! Jonathan administred three more fast ones, but this time to the right butt cheek.

"Ouchie!" Mollianne sobbed "T…..Too har…..hard, pa….papa!"

Smack! To the left butt cheek.

Smack! To the right butt cheek.

"Ow! Owie!" Mollianne sobbed again "No more, papa! Pl….please! I'm sowwy!"

Jonathon dropped the belt on the floor and softened his tone as he picked up the little girl, "It's okay, my butterfly. It's all over now. I forgive you." He sat down with Mollianne cradled in his lap and and he rubbed a hand on the little girl's chest.

Mollianne just solved and sniffled in his arms.

"I love you, butterfly." Jonathon told her

"I love you too, papa." Mollianne sniffled

End of Flashback -

The teacher blew the whistle meaning that recess was over, so Mollianne wiped her eyes and nose on her jacket sleeve before running to line up and head to the next class.

The rest of the day sped by really fast for Mollianne, because she had zoned out into her own world.

After school was over, Mollianne walked back to her foster home with Henry. She walked a little ahead of him and quietly snuck into the house before creeping up the stairs stealthily, like a ninja.

A few moments later, Henry walked into his house and closed the door behind him.

"Hi, how was school?" Regina greeted her son as she walked into the foyer.

"Hi mom." Henry replied "School was good. We're learning how to do fractions in math. Thery're a little hard, but I'm good at them."

Regina nodded, "That's great, buddy." Then she furrowed her eyebrows, "Where's Mollie, bud? Didn't she walk home with you?"

"Yeah. I think she went upstairs." Henry told his mom with a shrug "I'm not too sure though. She walked in before me."

"Alright. Thanks buddy." Regina responded

Meanwhile with Mollianne, who is in her bathroom. She is holding a blade to her right forearm, as she is left-handed, and makes small cuts. After making five cuts, Mollianne hears a knock on the bathroom door.

"Mollie, sweetheart, are you in there?" Regina wondered

"Yeah." Mollianne replied calmly as she made another cut

Regina sighed relieved, but then took a breath, "Are you okay, sweet girl?"

This time Mollianne stayed quiet as she didn't trust her voice.

"Mollie? If I don't hear a response I'm coming in." Regina told the girl

Mollianne panicked and quickly rinsed her arm, but forgetting to rinse her blade. Before she could blink, the door opened and she quickly hid her arms behind her back.

"Are you okay, Mol?" Regina asked this time face-to-face with the girl, who just nodded.

Regina looked confused when she noticed the small red puddle forming behind Mollianne. She furrowed her eyebrows, "Is that blood on the ground?"

Mollianne shook her head, "No ma'am."

"You didn't even look at it." Regina replied

Mollianne nodded, "I know. It's food coloring." She tried to hide the blade by holding her hand around it, but accidentally got cut and dropped it.

Regina bent down and picked up the blade, "I'm guessing this is yours?"

Mollianne nodded as she reached for it with the uncut arm.

Regina held the blade out of Mollianne's reach, "I won't allow you to cut yourself, Mollie."

"But….I…I wasn't." Mollianne protested

"Says the girl with the puddle of blood behind her." Regina says sarcastically

Mollianne sighs softly, "Okay maybe I was."

Regina nodded, "I need to see the arm you cut." When Mollianne shook her head, Regina spoke in a firm voice, "Now Mollianne!"

Mollianne slowly brought out her cut up arm to show Regina.

"Oh Mollie, why would you do this to yourself?" Regina wondered as Mollianne just shrugged not wanting to admit why.

Regina sighed softly as she started cleaning the cuts, so they don't get infected. Then she bandage them up, "Now Mollie, I want you to promise me that if you ever feel the urge to cut again you'll come talk to me."

Mollianne nodded, but didn't say a word.

"No Mollie, I need to hear you." Regina told her

Mollianne sighed, "I promise, Regina. I'll come talk to you if I ever feel the urge to cut again." Although that was an empty promise. She had no intention of actually going to Regina the next time she felt like cutting.

Then Regina hugged Mollianne and sighed relieved, "Thank you."

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Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?


	3. Chapter 3

Mollianne has been with Regina for a week. She's still very much closed-off to Regina, but she and Henry are forming a close brother-sister bond.

It's the middle of the night, everyone is sleeping. Mollianne dreams about an old memory. The first time she cut herself.

Dream Flashback: Two years ago: January 21 -

 _Ten year old Mollianne tried to kill herself six months ago. That didn't work out too well, because she was saved by her sixteen year old foster brother. She really wishes that he hadn't taken her to the hospital and saved her life, because she's still feeling worthless and dirty. Mollianne thinks of a way to solve her little problem and then she heads into the kitchen of her new foster home, picks up a knife, and makes a small cut on her forearm. She_ _watches the blood flow out of her arm, down her forearm, and onto the floor. She sighs relieved that she's starting to feel clean and pure again, so she makes a few more cuts._ _Once again, she watches the blood flow out of her arm._

 _Mollianne sighed relieved and smiled softly, "I feel clean again. I don't feel dirty anymore. I feel like I'm brand new."_

End of dream flashback -

Mollianne wakes up and shoots up to a sitting position in bed. She sighs and rubs her face at the bridge of her nose with her index finger as she tries to calm herself.

"Great, just great." Mollianne mumbles to herself "Now I have the urge to cut again, but if I do Regina will be mad at me."

Mollianne contemplates going to Regina, but ultimately decides not to. She doesn't want to disturb the woman's sleep.

'What if Regina got mad about being woken up?' She thought 'I'd rather not take the chance.'

Mollianne got out of bed and headed into the bathroom. She took out the hidden razor that she kept after Regina took away everything sharp and locked it away in a safe. She used the razor and made some cuts on her wrist.

One cut. The blood starts to flow. Mollianne sees the red blood flowing down her arm, but she imagines that it's black icky stuff. The stuff inside of her that makes her feel dirty.

Two cuts. The blood starts to flow a little more. 'The more blood that flows out, the less icky stuff in my body.' Mollianne thought

Three cuts. More blood. 'No more dirty feeling now.' She thought

Mollianne feels a relief. She smiles and then hides the razor again, before washing her wrist and wrapping it with a bandage.

In the morning, Mollianne headed downstairs to make breakfast. But not before she put on a sweatshirt.

"Hey Gina, what are you cooking?" Mollianne wondered

"Apple Pancakes." Regina replied before glancing over at the girl "Aren't you hot in that sweatshirt? Why don't you take it off?"

Mollianne shook her head, "No, I'm good. I'm actually a little cold, so I think I'll keep it on."

"Okay Mollie, let me see your arm." Regina requested

"No, you have no right." Molliane responded adamant.

Regina looked at Mollianne sternly, "Mollianne, I need to see your arm. I won't ask you again."

Mollianne crossed her arms, "What are you going to do about it?"

Regina walked towards the girl and grabbed Mollianne's right arm, since Mollianne was left-handed it was highly unlikely that she'd cut the left arm.

"Ow! Ow! Ouch!" Mollianne cried as Regina started to roll up the jacket sleeve and she tried to pull away. "Regina! Stop!"

"What's with the bandage?" Regina questioned

Mollianne gave a shrug and didn't say anything.

"You cut yourself again, and I know I have talked to you about this. You were supposed to come see me if you had that urge again. You promised." Regina explained

"I didn't want to bother you when you were sleeping." Mollianne admitted sheepishly

Regina took Mollianne's hands into her own, "You will never be a bother to me, Mollie. Never. Not even at two in the morning."

"Okay." Mollianne said as she gave a nod. She didn't really believe it. She just wanted this conversation to end.

"I mean that." Regina told the girl "I am available to you twenty-four seven just like I am with Henry. Got it?"

Mollianne gave a nod, "I understand. Geez, I'm not a baby."

Mollianne puts her sweatshirt back on, then walks away, heads to the couch, and sits down by Henry.

"Hey Hen, what are you watching?" Mollianne asked the boy. She's starting to see him as a friend, and as her brother.

"Wow Wow Wubbzy." Henry replied "It's funny."

Mollianne smiled, "It looks funny. Mind if I watch with you?"

Henry shook his head, "No. Not at all, Mollie."

Regina glanced at her son and foster daughter. She sighed softly. She really didn't know how to help Mollianne, but that didn't mean she was going to give up. She would just need help. Maybe she could schedule for Mollianne to have some sessions Dr. Archie Hopper, because knowing that the girl is cutting and not being able to help is breaking Regina's heart.

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Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?


	4. Chapter 4

The next day after school, Mollianne is sitting in Dr. Archie Hopper's office having her session with him. She wasn't happy and she wasn't talking. She had told Regina that during breakfast that morning when she was told about the therapy session.

"You have to talk at some point, Mollianne." Archie finally spoke after ten minutes of silence

Mollianne just stared at him still not saying a word. She didn't want to be there and she didn't want to talk.

"You know I can stay quiet for the whole hour." Archie informed "How long can you stay quiet for before the silence becomes unbearable?"

Mollianne looked him dead in the eye and stared him down. She was determined to show him that silence was easy for her. She'd been quiet for longer periods of time than an hour. Staying quiet for an hour was a piece of cake

"Okay. I'll start the conversation. Why don't you tell me something about you?" Archie said trying to coax her to talk.

"I don't want to be here." Mollianne stated simply

Archie gave a nod, "It's nice to hear your voice." Then he added, "I understand that. It can be hard to talk to people sometimes. I also know Regina wants me to talk to you about your cutting, but is there anything else you would like to talk about?"

Mollianne thought for a moment, "I miss my friends Hero, Trixie, and Buck. My social worker had to separate us."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Archie replied

"They were the only ones that could stop me from wanting to cut." Mollianne admitted

Archie contemplated his next question, but decided to ask it, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what makes you want to cut?"

Mollianne shrugged. She wasn't ready to talk about that. She couldn't talk about him.

"Okay we can talk about something else. How about you talk about something that you'd like to talk about." Archie suggested

"My friends Buck, Hero, and Trixie are my best friends." Mollianne stated "Buck is my boyfriend. Hero and Trixie are like my brother and sister. I love them. They are the closest I have to family, and being separated from them is so painful." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she got choked up from trying to hold back the tears she wanted to cry. She took a breath, "Sometimes I just….I want to slit my wrists and let myself bleed to death. I don't want to live without my family. It's too hard."

Archie gave a sad nod, "Okay what is it about being with them that makes you not want to cut?"

Mollianne shrugged, "Just being with them, I guess. They make all the bad thoughts and memories go away. They make me happy."

"Okay. Well is there anything else that makes you happy? Something else that could suppress your cutting urges?" Archie wondered

"I don't know." Mollianne replied simply. She thought for a moment, "I do like to crotchet. One of my foster grandmas taught me how."

Archie nodded, "Okay. Well that's good. Maybe when you feel like you want to cut, you could crotchet instead."

"Yeah. I guess. I'll try." Mollianne agreed. Then she asked, "Is the hour up now? Can I go?"

Archie looks at the clock, "We actually have fifteen more minutes."

Mollianne sighed softly, "Well how are we going to fill the rest of the time?"

"How do you like staying with Regina?" Archie questioned

Mollianne shrugged her shoulders, "It's okay I guess. She's better than my previous foster parents. She's nicer than the others and she doesn't hurt me, but she's too much in my business. She worries about me too much. Always wanting to know how I'm feeling. Plus every time I leave the house, she always wants to know where I'm going and when I'll be back."

"You mean she's being a mother?" Archie clarified

"I guess." Mollianne responded "I'm just not used to it. I'm used to being able to do my own thing and having more freedom."

Archie gave a nod, "Maybe that's something you can talk to Regina about. Tell her about how you feel. Maybe together you and her can find a way so that you don't feel so smothered."

"Okay." Mollianne spoke simply

"Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?' Archie wondered

Mollianne thought for a moment, "Um…no, not that I can think of, but I'm sure there's stuff you want to know about."

"Yes. Can we go back to an earlier question? What makes you want to cut?" Archie inquired

Mollianne shook her head, "I..I don't want to talk about that."

Archie nodded, "Okay. How about why you cut?"

"It helps me feel clean. When the blood flows out all the bad, icky, dirty stuff flows out with it." Mollianne disclosed

"Feel clean from what? Why do you feel dirty on the inside?" Archie probed

Mollianne took a deep breath, "Um…because of my papa. When I was little, before I was put in foster care, papa abused me."

"Oh I'm sorry." Archie apologized "You might not like my next question, but I have to ask. It affects the course of therapy treatment you'll receive."

Mollianne nodded, "Okay."

"The abuse…was it physical or sexual?" Archie questioned

Mollianne swallowed as she looked down. She managed to speak, "Both. It was both."

"Thank you. I can't imagine how hard that was." Archie responded

"Can I go now?" Mollianne asked softly

Archie gave a nod, "Yes. I think this is enough to today."

Mollianne stood up and then quickly ran out of the office building. She heads straight to the old playground that she and Henry hang out at sometimes. She lets the tears that she's been holding back flow freely from her eyes.

* * *

Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?


	5. Chapter 5

After arriving at the play ground, Mollianne sat on the play structure crying as she swung her legs. She felt raw and so exposed after talking with Archie. All the old feelings that she felt after being rescued from her papa came rushing back. The feelings weren't suppressed anymore. They were front and center, and she had to face them, which she didn't want to. She just wanted to die.

"Hey." Mollianne heard a voice say

Mollianne sniffled, wiped her eyes, and then looked up, "Hey. Who are you?"

"I'm Ava and this is my brother Nicholas." The girl introduced

Mollianne nodded, "I'm Mollie."

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Nicholas asked

Mollianne shook her head, "It's not important. I don't want to burden you and your sister with my problems. They're too big for kids to deal with."

"You know, it's okay. It will get better, and it helps to talk about it." Nicholas replied as he stepped forward, grabbed Mollianne's hand and held it gently.

Ava walked over and sat next to Mollianne. She hugged the pre-teen girl, "My mother committed suicide a year ago. My brother and I have no one, but each other. I know what it's like to feel alone."

Mollianne took a shaky, breath, "Mine is worse. I was abused by my papa. He hurt me and made me feel dirty and worthless."

For the first time in a long time, Mollianne let herself cry in front of someone other than Hero and Buck. And boy, did she cry. The tears just kept on flowing, and she didn't mind one bit. She actually felt safe with Ava and Nicholas. She felt like in a way, they were able to relate to her.

Meanwhile at the Mills house with Regina and Henry, Regina looked at the her phone to check the time. It was 5:00 pm. Mollianne should have been home from Archie's a half hour ago.

"Henry, have you heard from Mollie?" Regina asked

"No." Henry replied

Regina gave a nod, "Okay. If you hear from her let me know."

"I will, mom." Henry agreed

Regina walked into the foyer and called Archie to find out if by some miracle Mollianne was still there. The whole call took a couple minutes and in that time Regina learned that Mollianne actually left Archie's office a few minutes earlier. Regina sighed as she got off the phone and thought, 'Where could Mollie be?'

Regina headed back into the living room and sat down on the couch next to Henry, "Hey Henry, you wouldn't happen to know where Mollie could be?"

Henry shrugged, "I have no idea, mom, but sometimes we stop at the playground on the way home. She only goes there because I ask though. I doubt she would go there on her own."

"Thank you, bud. I'm going to go look for Mollie." Regina informed

Henry nodded, "You're welcome, mom."

Regina kissed his head, then grabbed her house keys, and headed to the front door. Regina walked to the playground and found Mollianne sitting there alone.

Mollianne had been sitting with Ava and Nicholas, but they left a few minutes ago.

Regina walked over to the play structure and sat down next to Mollianne, "Hey sweetheart, what's wrong? Why are you sitting out here all alone?"

"I didn't want to go back to your house." Mollianne admitted in a soft voice. She sounded much younger than Regina had ever heard from the pre-teen. Young and vulnerable.

"It's your house too, Mollie." Regina told the girl "Now why didn't you want to come home?"

Mollianne just shrugged. She had been looking down this whole time.

"Mollianne, look at me." Regina demanded softly. When Mollianne looked up at her, she spoke again, "I know that you know. Please, talk to me, sweet girl."

Mollianne took a breath, "I...I didn't want you to see me cry." Tears started to well up in her eyes. She leaned into Regina's chest and hugged the woman.

Regina wrapped her arms around Mollianne and rubbed the girl's back, "Why were you crying, princess?"

Regina didn't hear a response from the girl. All she heard was soft sniffles. Regina could feel her heart breaking for the little girl in her arms. She had no idea what Mollianne had been through, but she knew it was enough to bring the kid to tears and make her want to cut and not value her life. She didn't understand how anyone could ever hurt a child.

Mollianne pulled out of Regina's embrace and wiped her eyes and tears, "I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Okay. What is it?" Regina wondered

"Um...I'm not used to having a mother." Mollianne disclosed "Everything you do. Wanting to know where I'm going and when I'll be home, wanting to know how I am, and everything else like that. I'm not used to that and it's making me feel smothered. Maybe you could just cool it."

Regina gave a nod, "Okay how about when you're not home you can text me every hour letting me know that you are safe, because I do worry about you and as long as you are in our home I always will. I'll try not to be so smothering, but someday when you're a mother you'll understand how I feel. Having you and Henry is like having my heart walking around outside my body."

Mollianne nodded, "I think I can agree to that, and whatever you say."

"Okay Sassy Pants, you ready to go home?" Regina asked

"Yeah. I guess." Mollianne agreed "But first, do you want to know why I cut?"

Regina held her breath as she gave a nod, "Yeah, I do."

Mollianne took a breath, "Well I...before I was in foster care I lived with my papa, he was arrested when I was seven. Anyways, he was abusive to me and he made me feel dirty that's why I cut. I cut to feel clean, because I imagine all the bad, icky stuff flowing out instead of my blood."

"Oh sweetheart." Regina breathed out as she hugged Mollianne "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It's whatever. I'm fine. I lived through it." Mollianne stated. Although in her head, she thought, 'Sometimes I wish I hadn't though, because his abuse wasn't even the worst.'

Regina pulled back for a second so she could look Mollianne in the eyes. She shook her head, "No honey, it's not okay. He had no right to hurt you. That's why he was arrested. Nobody had the right to hurt you."

"I know that, but I can't change the past. I can be angry about it or I can accept it and forgive the person." Mollianne informed Regina

"You're so wise. Are you sure that you're twelve?" Regina questioned

Mollianne laughed slightly, "Yes. Now lets go home. Think you're up for a race?"

"You're on." Regina agreed.

Regina and Mollianne jumped down from the play structure and on the count of three, they took off running and raced back home.

* * *

Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning it's Saturday so that means no school. Mollianne wakes up early at 5:30 am. She heads downstairs and picks up the mail from the mail box. She notices one of the letters is from Jonathon Harris, also known as 'Papa'. She pockets the letter and then heads back inside.

"Regina, I got the mail." Mollianne says as she places the mail on the desk in Regina's in home office.

"Thanks Mollie." Regina replied without looking up from her work.

Mollianne gave a nod, "You're welcome."

'Wait! Mollie?' Regina thought as she looked up, "Mollianne, what are you doing up this early?"

Mollianne shrugged, "I don't know. I've always been an early riser. I guess I'm just a morning person."

"Okay." Regina agreed

"Well I'm going to go now." Mollianne excused herself, and then she left and headed up the stairs to her room.

Once in her room, Mollianne sat on her bed and opened the letter from Jonathon. She read it to herself.

The letter said: 'Dear Butterfly, I've been thinking of you every day since I got arrested. I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry I took you from your family. I'm sorry I lied about killing you. I know this doesn't excuse what I did, but I was in a bad place in my life. I wanted a kid, but nobody would let me adopt and I can't have a kid biologically. I wanted a kid to prove to myself that I wouldn't be like my dad. That I wouldn't treat a kid - my kid - the way my dad treated me. I guess I failed pretty miserably. If I could go back in time, and change everything I would. Anyways I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I really did love you. You were an amazing little girl, my butterfly. Love, Papa.'

Mollianne didn't even know how to respond to the letter. She kind of wanted to rip it up and forget about it, because she didn't want to hear his apologies and excuses, but another part of her loved him. She also wanted to cut because the letter brought up old memories. She wanted to write back and tell him that he wasn't all bad, because he wasn't. He was better than some of her foster parents, and he did take care of her and love her in his own way.

Mollianne became overwhelmed by all the conflicting emotions she was feeling and broke down in tears.

Soon she heard her door open and the sound of Henry's voice.

"Are you okay, sis?" Henry asked

Mollianne wiped her tears and looked up at Henry. She gave a nod and forced a smile, "I'm fine."

"I'm nine, not five." Henry retorted as he walked over to Mollianne and sat down in front of her on the floor. "What's wrong?"

"This is a big kid problem, Henry." Mollianne informed him "You're too young to know."

Henry thought for a moment, "Okay. Then I'll get mom."

Mollianne shook her head, "No, Henry. I'm not ready to talk about this with anyone. Please don't tell your mom."

"Fine." Henry agreed

"Thank you." Mollianne replied relieved

Henry gave a nod, "So what do you want to do today?"

"Henry, it's six am." Mollianne told him

"I know." Henry stated

Mollianne shook her head in disbelief, "Okay. Well I don't know what I want to do today."

"Can I suggest something?" Henry inquired

"I don't know. Can you?" Mollianne retorted

Henry looked at her confused, "What does that mean?"

"You wouldn't say 'can'. The correct way to say it is 'may I' not can." Mollianne explained

Henry sighed, "Oh fine. Whatever. You know what I mean though."

Mollianne smiled, "Yeah I did. I'm sorry. My fourth grade teacher used to do that to us. And you may, suggest something."

"We could go to the park." Henry suggested

Mollianne nodded, "That's a good idea, and now that you've mentioned the park I've remembered that I've been wanted to go to the library. So how about after breakfast, we go to the library and then I'll take you to the park."

"Okay. That sounds like a good idea." Henry agreed

"Alright. It's settled, but until then I need a little bit of alone time." Mollianne said

Henry huffed, "Fine." Then he left Mollianne's room.

Once Mollianne was alone, she took the letter from Papa over to her desk. She grabbed a blank piece of paper and a pen, and then started writing a response letter. She decided to write a letter, because she felt that she needed to. Jonathon needed to know that she forgave him and that she still loved him.

Mollianne wrote: 'Dear Papa, I'm sorry to hear about your father. I want you to know that you weren't all bad. I've realized that you were better than some of my foster parents. I miss you and I forgive you. I forgive you for hurting me and for taking me from my family. I don't remember them now anyways. I don't care that you lied about killing me. I have an amazing, loving, and supportive foster mom. I also have a crazy, goofy nine year old foster brother. I also made three friends in my first foster home that I have shared many foster homes with, but I've been separated from them again. I miss them so much. Two of them are like my brother and sister, and the other one of them is my boyfriend. Anyways I'm happy now. I love you, Papa, because to me you will always be my 'Papa'. Love, your Butterfly.'

Mollianne smiled as she finished the letter and then sealed it in an envelope. She wrote the address of the sender from the envelope that she got, and put it in the center of the envelope. Then she wrote her address in the top left-hand corner.

'Perfect. Now all I need is a stamp.' Mollianne thought

* * *

Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?

Next chapter: Mollianne and Henry visit the library, and then go to the park.


	7. Chapter 7

At time in the morning after breakfast while on the walk to the library, Mollianne dropped her letter in the mail box. Upon arriving at the library, Mollianne realized that it was closed.

"What kind of library is closed?" Mollianne wondered. She had wanted to find a few books to read.

"It's always closed." Henry replied

Mollianne furrowed her eyebrows, "That seems a little weird, don't you think?"

Henry shrugged his shoulders, "Never really thought much of it. Can we go to the park now? You promised that we would."

"Yeah. Of course." Mollianne agreed

Upon arriving at the park, Mollianne watched Henry play on the structure while she just sat on the swing. They weren't there for very long when Mollianne's phone suddenly rang.

Henry groaned, "Ugh. It's not mom, is it?"

Mollianne looked at the caller ID, "No Henry, we're safe." She answered her phone with a smile, "Hey Hero, what's up?"

"Hi Monkey." Jesse, or Hero as his friends call him, replied "I'm calling about Buck."

"Wait what?" Mollianne asked concerned as she stood up from the swing and walked a little bit away. "What happened? Is he okay? Why didn't he call me?"

Henry watched his foster sister walking away. He was worried because of the concerned look on her face. 'What's wrong?' He wondered to himself

"Mollie, he's in the hospital. It's bad." Jesse told her

"Just tell me what happened." Mollianne pleaded after a short silence.

Jesse sighed. He could hear from her voice that she was about to cry and that broke his heart. "Okay well Trixie called me. I wasn't there to protect them because we got separated, but Buck...he protected Trixie. She's okay, but he got it bad. Worse than anything I've gotten in the past."

"Stop beating around the bush, Jesse. Just tell me." Mollianne demanded in a shaky voice as she sniffled "This is Buck we're talking about. He's everything to me. I can't lose him."

"Okay. According to Trixie, she pulled a prank on their foster parents biological son after he'd been messing with her for days. The dad was going to punish her, and that's when Buck butted in. He told Trixie to go hide, which she did." Jesse explained "Buck's unconscious so I don't know what happened to him. Trixie didn't see anything."

Mollianne nodded solemnly to herself, "Okay. Just keep me updated. If he gets worse, I'll try to find a way to get to you. Is Trixie there?"

"I will." Jesse responded "And she's here. She's exhausted, but doesn't want to sleep until she knows that Buck is going to be okay."

Mollianne smiled to herself as she thought, 'Stubborn Trixie.' She spoke, "Can talk to her?"

"Okay course." Jesse stated.

Mollianne heard Jesse call Trixie to the phone and then she heard the younger girl's voice. She smiled, "Hey Trixie."

"Monkey, I miss you." Kathleen, or Trixie informed

"I know." Mollianne replied "I miss you too. I need you to get some sleep though. Hero will wake you when he gets news about Buck or if anything changes. We can't have you getting sick, now can we?"

Kathleen sighed, "No. I guess not. I'll try to sleep."

"Have Hero sing to you. He's a pretty good singer, even though he'll never admit it." Mollianne admitted

"Okay." Kathleen agreed "Bye Monkey. I love you."

Mollianne smiled to herself, "I love you too, Trixie."

When Mollianne got off the phone, she walked back over to the swing and sat down.

"Who was that?" Henry questioned as he slid down the slide and then walked over to sit on the swing next to Mollianne's

"It doesn't concern you, Henry." Mollianne told him as she wiped her eyes.

Henry looked at her face, "You're crying. It was bad news, huh?"

"Henry, just drop it." Mollianne snapped

"Fine. I'm sorry for being concerned about my sister." Henry told her sarcastically.

Mollianne sighed, "Look I'm sorry. I'm just scared. My boyfriend's in the hospital. He's unconscious."

"I'm sorry about your boyfriend." Henry replied

"It's okay." Mollianne assured. She checked the time on her phone, "It's almost lunch time. We should head home."

Henry threw his head back and pleaded, "Five more minutes. Please?"

"I'll give you two." Mollianne negotiated "No arguing. Or else we go home now."

"Fine." Henry agreed as he went back to playing.

* * *

Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?

Sorry for the delay. I had writer's block. Plus I've been busy with college and life. Summer is coming up and while I'll still be busy with life I'll try to write as much as possible.


	8. Chapter 8

Mollianne and Henry go home from the park. The rest of the day Mollianne is moody. At dinner time she barely eats anything, she just picks at her food and pushes the food around on her plate.

"Mollie, aren't you going to eat?" Regina asked "I made your favorite."

It was true that Regina did make Mollianne's favorite food: boiled artichokes and garlic lemon red snapper. However Mollianne just didn't feel like eating because of what was going on with Hero.

"Mollie." Regina spoke again

"I'm not really hungry." Mollianne replied without looking up.

Regina looked at the young girl concerned, "Are you feeling okay? Do you feel sick?"

"Yeah. No, I'm fine. I think I'm just tired. I'm going to go to bed." Mollianne explained as she got up from the table and headed upstairs.

Regina stared at the now empty place at the table and then looked at her son, "Did something happen today to upset Mollie?"

"She got a call while we were at the park." Henry admitted "Her boyfriend's in the hospital. He's unconscious."

Regina frowned as she gave a heavy sigh. 'No wonder the girl was moody. Mollie must be so scared and worried.' She thought 'I'll talk to her in the morning.'

The next morning at a very early hour, Mollianne was woken up by a call from Jesse saying that Buck is getting worse and that the doctors fear he may not make it through the night. She talks to Buck with the phone on speaker. She tells him to hang on and not to die. At least not without giving her the chance to say goodbye.

Mollianne crochets on the way to see Buck to keep her mind off the fact that she wants to cut herself, but not to feel clean. To kill herself. Because if Buck dies, then she doesn't want to live. There's no way she can go on or continue to live in a world without Buck. He is the light of her life. Her lover. Everything that is good in her life. He's her savior.

When Mollianne arrives in Vancouver, she gets off the plane and hails a taxi to the hospital where Buck is. She meets Jesse outside the hospital and hugs him.

"It's good to see you, Monkey I'm sorry it's not on better conditions" Jesse told her "But how did you even get here?"

"It doesn't matter. It's not important." Mollianne stated "All that matters is that I see Buck."

Jesse looked at her disapprovingly, "Please tell me you didn't sneak onto a plane, Mollie. You've got to stop doing that. You're going to get caught."

"No, I won't." Mollianne insisted "Now please, take me to see Buck."

"Very well." Jesse agreed. Then they walked inside the hospital as they headed into Andrew's room where Kathleen ran into Mollianne's arms.

Mollianne hugged the younger girl back, "How are you doing, Trixie?"

"I'm okay. It's Buck I'm worried about. I don't want him to die." Kathleen replied sounding sad. Not like her usual, bubbly self, but that was to be expected.

Mollianne looked at Kathleen, "Of course you don't. I don't either." She walked over to Andrew's bedside and held his hand, "Did you hear that, Buck? Trixie, Hero, and I don't want you to die, so please don't. Don't leave us. Don't leave me, because I can't survive without you. I love you."

Andrew squeezed Mollianne's hand. Then she looked over at Kathleen and Jesse as she smiled, "He squeezed my hand."

Jesse nodded, "Yeah. He's been doing that. The doctors say that it's just a twitch, but I don't believe them. I know that Buck is still alive in there and that he can hear us."

Meanwhile back in Storybrooke at the Mills Manor, it's well past breakfast time and Regina still hasn't seen Mollianne or heard her moving around in her room. Becoming more and more worried with each passing minute, She sends Henry upstairs to check on Mollianne. Within just a couple of minutes, Henry is running frantically back down the stairs.

"Mom! Mom!" Henry yelled

"What is it, Henry?" Regina inquired him

Henry took a deep breath to calm himself a little bit since he was still freaking out, "It's Mollie. She's gone."

"What do you mean she's gone?" Regina asked worried

"She's not in her room. She's just gone." Henry told his mother

Regina took a breath, "Okay well don't panic, I'll just call her and find out where she is. Maybe she went for a walk early this morning and lost track of time." She took out her phone and called Mollianne. The phone rang and rang and then it went to voicemail. Regina sighed, "Okay now we panic."

"She didn't answer." Henry stated mostly speaking out loud to himself "I think I know where she went. She probably went to see her boyfriend, but I don't know where that is."

"Don't worry, my prince." Regina assured him "I'll call the sheriff. He'll find Mollie and bring her home."

* * *

Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?


	9. Chapter 9

It was a Monday night when Mollianne snuck into the house through the back door. It was late so she was quiet because she didn't want to accidentally wake Henry or Regina. She made her way to the stairs in the front of the house where she was stopped by Regina.

"Where have you been, young lady?" Regina asked

Mollianne jumped and then turned around to face her foster mother, "Regina, you scared me." But in her head, she thought, 'What are you doing awake? Surely, you waiting up for me.'

"You were gone for a week. I've been so worried about you." Regina told the girl "Where did you go?"

Mollianne took a breath, "My boyfriend was in the hospital in a coma. I had to be there for my friends. They needed me, and I didn't want to leave until I knew that my boyfriend would be okay."

"You can't just leave, Mollianne. You can't come and go whenever you want. You're only twelve years old, which in my opinion is too young for a boyfriend." Regina explained

"I made a judgement call, and I stand by what I did." Mollianne stated "And if you want to send me away because of what I did that's fine. It's completely up to you, but I won't apologize for being a good girlfriend." She ignored the comment about her being too young for a boyfriend. She and Buck had been dating for a year.

Regina furrowed her eyebrows, "Send you away. I would never do that, Mollianne, but you know what I will do. Ground you, because you are grounded for an unknown amount of time. Once I know the particulars of your little 'adventure' I will decide how long you need to be grounded for."

"Fine. I don't care. I'll never tell you anything." Mollianne yelled as she ran up the stairs

"You also have a session with Dr. Hopper on Wednesday after school." Regina called after the preteen.

Tuesday seemed to go by really slowly for Mollianne. School went fast though, but everything after was a drag. Between trying to dodge Henry's million questions and trying to avoid Regina, it was a long day. However the preteen was able to make it through the day without answering any of Henry's questions and without talking to Regina. Mollianne wasn't afraid to tell Regina what she did, she just didn't think it was any of the woman's business, or that she should be punished for her actions.

'Why should I be punished for being a good girlfriend and friend?' Mollianne thought

Wednesday morning and afternoon when by fast too. School went by faster than Mollianne would have liked. Not that she liked school, but she was dreading her appointment with Dr. Hopper, and soon she found herself sitting in the one place she hated to do the other think she hated. Dr. Hopper's office to talk about her past.

"So Mollianne, during our last session you mentioned that you were abused both physically and sexually. Would you like to tell me more about that?" Archie wondered

"No, not really." Mollianne replied.

Mollianne didn't actually want to think about her past when all she could think about were Trixie, Buck, and Hero. 'Would they be okay in their new foster homes? Would Trixie be alone? Or will she have either Buck or Hero to protect her?' Mollianne thought. Sure Trixie was only one year younger than Molllianne, but she was also tiny. At eleven years old, Trixie was only weighed fifty pounds and was 4'11. She was basically a walking twig.

Archie nodded, "That's completely understandable. It's a hard topic..."

"Can we talk about something else?" Mollianne interrupted. She'd much rather talk about Buck, Trixie, and Hero than talk about her past and what had happened to her. What Papa had did to her.

"Of course." Archie told her "What would you like to talk about?"

Mollianne took a breath, "I had a rough week. The week I was gone. I left because my boyfriend was in the hospital. He got beat up by his foster parents while protecting our friend Kathleen. She's like our little sister. She's a year younger than I am."

"How did you feel?" Archie asked

Mollianne paused briefly, "Seeing Buck...that's my boyfriend...anyways seeing him laying helpless in a hospital bed..." She shook her head as a tear spilled from her eyes, "It broke my heart. It was so hard to see him lying there and not being able to do anything to help him, especially since he's always been there for me."

"You felt helpless?" Archie clarified

Mollianne nodded, "Yeah. You're damn right I felt helpless."

"Have you ever felt helpless before?" Archie inquired

Mollianne froze and then she shook her head, "No. No, why would you ask that?"

"Are you sure you haven't felt helpless before? Like maybe when you were younger when you were with that man who made you call him 'papa'?" Archie questioned

"He is my Papa!" Mollianne snapped, but in her head she was thinking back and Archie was right. She did feel helpless every time she allowed Papa to hurt her. She felt weak every time she didn't at least try to fight back.

* * *

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What would you like to see happen next?


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Mollianne had stayed up in her room for the majority of the day just thinking about what Dr. Hopper said about Papa making her feel helpless. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it was true and she hated it. She hated that this man still had so much power over her. That she could both simultaneously loved and hate him.

Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door. "It's Regina." The voice said "Can I come in?"

"I guess." Mollianne replied

Regina stepped into the room, "Okay. You haven't eaten all day, you need to come down and eat dinner now."

"Not hungry." Mollianne uttered

"Alright, what's on your mind?" Regina asked as she sat down beside Mollianne on the bed, "You've barely said two words since coming home from therapy yesterday."

Mollianne just shrugged her shoulders as she turned away from Regina. She really didn't want to talk about what she was asked at therapy, because if she felt that if said how she she truly felt about Papa out loud that it would become more real somehow.

"Mollie, look at me." Regina demanded

"Why?!" Mollianne half-yelled as she turned back to face Regina

Regina took a breath, "Because I want you to talk to me."

"What do you want to hear, Regina." Mollianne spat, "Do you want to hear about how Papa could be a good person who would cuddle with me on the couch, sing to me, read to me, and call me his butterfly? Do you want to hear about how much I loved him? Would you rather hear about what a a terrible person he was? About how he abused me and I hate him, but I hate myself more for not fighting back? Or would you rather hear about the fact that despite how much I hate him, I still love him and I miss him? Or what about the fact that I miss him and sometimes I wish he'd never gotten caught so that I could still be living with him?"

Regina sighed, "I'm so sorry, Mollie. I didn't know."

"Don't be sorry. It's not at all confusing having these conflicting emotions that I can barely understand, but now you know why I didn't what to talk." Mollianne told her foster mother before storming out of the bedroom and running down the stairs. She slipped on her sneakers and then ran out the front door, slamming the door behind her.

"Mom!" Henry yelled as he sat on the couch looking back at the door, "Mollie just ran out the front door."

Meanwhile Regina, who was standing at the top of the stairs, sighed as she ran her hand though her hair.

"I know. Thank you, Henry." Regina responded

Back outside with Mollianne, she was running along the wharf by the ocean and the boats. Being by the water was always calming and a great way for her to clear her head. She sat down on one of the walls with her legs dangling as she looked down at the ocean. She was breathing pretty hard and fast from running.

"What are you doing out here, dearie?" A voice asked from behind Mollianne

Mollianne turned around, "Who are you?"

"That is not of importance." The man replied "What is important is that you are upset. Maybe I can do something for you."

Mollianne shook her head, "Unless you can change the course of my whole life, I doubt it."

"That might be a possibility, dearie, but I'd need you to do something for me." The man explained

"What?" Mollianne inquired

"Break the curse. Bring magic back to Storybrooke." The man said

Mollianne furrowed her eyebrows, "Curse? Magic? Oh not you too. It's bad enough I have to hear about magic and the curse from my little brother Henry. The town isn't cursed."

The man shrugged, "Suit yourself, dearie, but the curse is very real and so is magic. Everything in Henry's book is real. Everything he says is real. Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter Emma is the savior. Always have hope that things will get better, dearie." Then he walked away.

'Well that man is crazy.' Mollianne thought 'But he did kind of make me feel better.' She liked the idea of having hope.

Mollianne wiped a tear away from her eye, "I know you love me, Papa. I love you too, and I miss you. I'll always be your butterfly." She looked at the ocean, sighed, and then stood up before turning to head back to the house, "I guess I should go home now. Regina...I mean Mom's probably worried about me."

Upon arriving at the house, Mollianne walked in and headed to find her foster mother.

"Mom!" Mollianne exclaimed as she ran into Regina's arms.

Regina wrapped her arms around her foster daughter, "Mollie, I'm glad you're home. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"No." Mollianne responded, "Just hold me, Mom. I just want you to hold me in your arms." She hugged Regina tighter and pressed her head against the woman's chest as she listened to her heart.

Regina hugged and held Mollianne as close to her as she could, "I'm right here, sweetheart. I will always be right here for you whether it's just to listen to you, give you advice, or to give you warmth and comfort."

"I know." Mollianne replied, "Thanks for being my mom."

"It's no problem, princess. Being your mom is the best job ever." Regina told the girl

* * *

Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?

I have a theory that Gold was awake the whole time, and that he was never really cursed.


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